Turkey

With his recent reelection, President Obama has won the power to pardon more turkeys on Thanksgiving. But so does every one of us, by choosing a nonviolent Thanksgiving observance that gives thanks for our good fortune, health, and happiness with a life-affirming, cruelty-free feast of vegetables, fruits, and grains. And here are more terrific reasons: • You will stay alert through the entire football game. • You are what you eat. Who wants to be a “butterball”? • Your vegetarian kid won't have to boycott the family dinner.

ANNE LOUISE Maybe it's me, but is it really a problem that I don't know how to cook a turkey? I recently saw a cartoon featuring an optimistic bunch of the aforeme- ntioned fowl who were pretty sure that by the next generation of humans, no one would know how to cook a turkey anymore. I think it might be true. It could be that I just run with the wrong crowd, but I don't know anyone my age who can cook a turkey. Certainly I can't do it. Growing up, I only saw it done once a year, on Thanksgiving, and that annual family ritual didn't provide the best of training.

To paraphrase the great poet Percy Shelley, "If election comes, can Thanksgiving be far behind?" Thank heavens, we will have a bit of relief from the constant badgering of opposing candidates on every television broadcast so that we can concentrate on the turkey wars. You have to pay attention to get the most cluck for your buck. This takes thought. Is it more economical to spend $50 on groceries to get a free bird or to pay $5 outright with no extra purchases to get the bird you need for your celebration?

DOWNTOWN — As U.S. lawmakers continue to take Turkey to task for its support of an aid flotilla to the Gaza Strip, Rep. Adam Schiff is seizing on the discontent to garner more support for his long-stalled resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide. Fear of angering Turkey, a strategic military ally in the Middle East, has long stood in the way of Congress officially recognizing the 1915 massacre of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide. But since Turkey has refused to back down from efforts to send supplies to Israel's Gaza Strip, a new crop of U.S. lawmakers say they may now support the Affirmation of the U.S. Record on the Armenian Genocide.

Tallyrand Restaurant has a new fan in Huell Howser. The TV icon who tours the state looking for interesting stories is spreading the word about the restaurant's hometown feel and hot turkey sandwiches on his show "California's Gold," which airs on public television station KCET. Tallyrand is owned by siblings Karen Ross of Toluca Lake and Mark Thomas of Valencia. It was opened in 1959 by their parents, Al and Delores Thomas. Howser had stopped by for lunch and met some of the employees and customers.

GLENDALE — The local Armenian American population mourned the loss Friday of Hrant Dink. Dink, an outspoken Armenian journalist who faced constant threats and intimidation in his home in Turkey, was shot dead on Friday outside of his newspaper's building. Dink, 53, was the editor of the bilingual Armenian and Turkish newspaper Agos, which was one of the most prominent voices for Turkey's small Armenian population, according to reports. The journalist was convicted in October 2005 of inciting racial tension and denouncing a Turkish historical figure in one of his newspaper's articles.

There are a number of disputes tied to the protocols under which long-estranged Armenia and Turkey are expected to open official talks. There’s the future of Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed enclave within the borders of Azerbaijan that is home to many ethnic Armenians but that also has close ties to Turkey. There’s the land disputes between the two countries on the eastern front. But above all, there’s the condition for a historical commission to investigate the veracity of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated under Turkey’s forbearer, the Ottoman Empire.

A House resolution to acknowledge the Armenian genocide narrowly moved out of a key legislative committee Thursday, a day after the Obama administration cautioned against a vote that it feared could jeopardize Armenia’s and the United States’ relations with Turkey. The resolution by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) declared that 1.5 million Armenians were killed between 1915 and 1923 in a campaign “conceived and carried out by the Ottoman Empire.” The legislation moved out of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on a 23-22 vote after an impassioned discussion in which some members expressed fears that the resolution could adversely affect American military operations in Iraq.

Jeff Tully BURBANK -- It's almost impossible to talk to anyone about Ralph Brandt without hearing recollections of colorful stories or a humorous antidote about the venerable Burroughs High coach. Brandt, a longtime Burbank resident and Burroughs coach, will likely be remembered not only for his expertise and love of coaching, but for his sense of humor and his positive influence on thousands of students. When Brandt died April 2, the community not only lost a rare coaching icon, but it also lost an individual who was admired and respected by friends and former athletes.

No need to wait for summer to enjoy smoky, backyard barbecue. Handy Market, the well-stocked corner store where Magnolia Boulevard meets Buena Vista Street in Burbank, spills out into the parking lot on Saturdays, 'cueing up pounds and pounds of beef, pork, chicken, turkey and sausage for the hungry hordes. The lines are long but the service is efficient and the taste is worth any wait. Just ask Jay Leno. "Mr. Leno comes by all the time," says the young woman wrapping up orders in big sheets of heavy duty foil.

According to the American Caloric Control Council (yes, there really is such a thing), the average American consumes more than 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat on Thanksgiving Day. While, for many, the only exercise they get to work off that feast is clicking the remote back and forth between football games, for more than 2,300 members and supporters of the Burbank Community YMCA, some serious preemptive calorie burning took place this past Thanksgiving...

More than 1,600 people have signed up so far to run Thanksgiving morning in the Burbank YMCA's fourth annual Turkey Trot, in which participants are encouraged to “race before you stuff your face.” Organizers are hoping to attract 2,700 participants on race day. The event, which includes a 10K and 5K race, 5K walk and 1K “fun run” for kids, will begin with on-site registration at 6:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving. The races will begin at 8 a.m., 8:10 a.m. and 9:15 a.m., respectively.

Family Service Agency supporters recognized City Manager Mike Flad for his commitment to the city he grew up in and his sense of humor during the annual Imagine a City Gala held at Providence High School on Nov. 3. Flad has taken a job as city manager of South Gate and the Family Service gala was a chance for friends to wish him the best in the future. He received the agency's Mary Alice O'Connor Vision Award named for a beloved volunteer who gave 66 years of her life to supporting many organizations in town.

With his recent reelection, President Obama has won the power to pardon more turkeys on Thanksgiving. But so does every one of us, by choosing a nonviolent Thanksgiving observance that gives thanks for our good fortune, health, and happiness with a life-affirming, cruelty-free feast of vegetables, fruits, and grains. And here are more terrific reasons: • You will stay alert through the entire football game. • You are what you eat. Who wants to be a “butterball”? • Your vegetarian kid won't have to boycott the family dinner.

His brassy name tag read “Frank,” and Frank was all that stood between me and my bacon-encrusted ice cream. It was on the Burbank Burger King menu for only a few hours, but none had yet asked for the plat du jour, the bacon sundae. Then Frank met me, the guy whose middle name on Facebook is Bacon. He cracked a smile as he punched the order - one sundae for me and one for my wife. “You'll have to let me know how it is,” he mused. I may have imagined the whispers that soon circulated among the cooking staff as the unorthodox marriage of salty and sweet was consummated.

They say the average American consumes more than 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat on Thanksgiving Day. It is also reported that it takes between six and seven hours of moderate exercise to burn off that many calories. Perhaps it was that information, coupled with the desire to support the Burbank Community YMCA, that inspired hundreds of folks to brave an early mist on Thanksgiving morning to participate in the Y's annual Turkey Trot. Gearing up for the simultaneously run 5K, 10K and Children's 1K Fun Run, the throng at the starting gate had swelled to more than two blocks long as Mayor Jess Talamantes and Parks, Recreation and Community Services board member Mickey DePalo were joined by Councilman Gary Bric and the Y's executive director, J.C. Holt, to officially start the pre-feast footrace shortly after 8 a.m. Among the notables spotted trotting the streets of downtown Burbank included former Mayor Jef Vander Borght, former Police Chief Tim Stehr, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for Warner Bros.

After a hugely successful first year, the Burbank YMCA again will host the “Turkey Trot” fundraiser on Thanksgiving Day, with proceeds earmarked to help pay the cost of memberships for people who could not otherwise afford them. Philip DiNova, the YMCA's Financial Development Director, said he expects 1,500 people, including Mayor Jess Talamantes, to take part in the run. Last year, DiNova said, the YMCA raised $400,000 from the Turkey Trot and with that money, was able to reduce the cost of memberships for 1,800 people.

Nearly 900 participants stretched and stomped their feet as the temperature hovered around 40 degrees on Thanksgiving morning waiting to take off for Burbank's first Turkey Trot. Organized by the Burbank YMCA, the race — split into 5 and 10 kilometers — was a successful trial run for what coordinators said they hope will become an annual event. "'Phenomenal' is the one word I can think of that describes the turnout at this event," said YMCA Chief Executive JC Holt.